Awkwardness
A milder social friction than Embarrassment — discomfort from an interaction whose norms are unclear, rather than from a specific misstep.
How it shows up
Awkwardness shows up in unclear social moments: a hug-or-handshake hesitation, a silence nobody knows how to fill, an introduction where names are forgotten. People often fidget, laugh nervously, or look for an exit. It seems to signal uncertainty about the shared rules of an interaction. What distinguishes it is that no one has necessarily done anything wrong; the discomfort comes from the norms themselves being unclear.
How it differs from Embarrassment
Embarrassment follows a specific observed misstep; awkwardness comes from an interaction whose norms are unclear, even when no one slipped up.
Notice
In an awkward moment, notice whether anyone actually did anything wrong, or whether the rules were simply unclear.
Where it is felt
Felt most in the face, chest and stomach.
Based on Nummenmaa et al. (2014), bodily maps of emotions, and related research. The map shows where people report bodily sensation, on average; individual experience varies.